There are currently two main types of microfluidic structures, those that are rigid and those that are elastomeric. Rigid microfluidic structures are constructed from rigid materials such as silicon, quartz, SiO2, or hard polymers. These structures have stable surface chemistry and hydrophilicity, but suffer from several drawbacks. For example, the time and power required for fabrication are relatively high, and planarization and high heat are required for sealing the structures to a substrate.
Elastomeric microfluidic structures are primarily made from poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and similar elastomers using soft lithography. These structures have superior conformational abilities. However, elastomeric microfluidic structures can buckle or collapse when pressure, vacuum, or topside forces are applied. Elastomeric microfluidic structures will also shear when lateral forces are applied. Thus, ex-situ fabricated elastomeric microfluidic structures cannot be precisely aligned to a substrate using standard alignment tools. In addition, the process of soft lithography has problematic issues pertaining to separating the precision cast elastomeric microfluidic structures from the mold. Accordingly, there is a need in the art to develop microfluidic structures that have the rigidity, superior long-term surface chemistry, hydrophilicity, and alignability of rigid microfluidic structures, with the conformational and low-temperature sealing abilities of elastomeric microfluidic structures.